1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates generally to a medical imaging apparatus, and more particularly, to methods of adjusting a position of a table supporting an object (e.g., patient) to be imaged by the medical imaging apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
An apparatus for capturing a medical image is a device for obtaining an image of an inner structure of an object. A non-invasive type of examination apparatus shows detailed structures, inner tissues, fluids, etc. in a body. Examples of the apparatus include a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) apparatus, a computed tomography (CT) apparatus, an ultrasonic apparatus, and an X-ray apparatus.
An MRI apparatus obtains a cross-sectional image of an object by representing with contrast an intensity of a magnetic resonance (MR) signal with respect to a radio frequency (RF) signal that is generated in a magnetic field having a predetermined intensity. For example, when an object is laid in a strong magnetic field and an RF signal that resonates only specific atomic nuclei (for example, hydrogen nuclei) is instantaneously emitted to the object and stopped, an MR signal is emitted from the specific atomic nuclei. The MR signal is received to derive an MR image. Unlike imaging apparatuses such as a CT apparatus in which obtaining of an image is dependent upon a direction of detection hardware, an MRI apparatus may obtain a two-dimensional (2D) image or a 3D volumetric image that may be obtained in any arbitrary orientation. Also, since an MRI apparatus may not expose radiation to an object and an examiner and may obtain an image having good contrast between soft tissues, the MRI apparatus may obtain a neurological image, an intravascular image, a musculoskeletal image, and an oncologic image in which clear representation of an abnormal tissue is important.
A CT apparatus obtains an X-ray image of an object taken around at least one axis of rotation. Since a CT apparatus may provide a cross-sectional image of an object, the CT apparatus has an advantage in that an inner structure of the object (for example, an organ such as a kidney or a lung) may be represented in a non-overlapping image, unlike a general X-ray apparatus.
Both an MRI apparatus and a CT apparatus include a gantry having a centralized aperture in which an object (e.g., a patient or object simulating a living body) is placed in order to capture a medical image. The object is supported on a table, the table is moved into the gantry, and the object on the table is imaged by using an RF coil, an X-ray tube, etc. included in the gantry.
Since there are various parts of an object to be imaged (referred to as imaging parts) such as a patient's head, leg, neck or abdomen, it is important to position an imaging part of the object at a reference point in a gantry, for example, at a central point in the gantry, in order to obtain a high quality medical image.